Brix - (brix levels) this is a measure of the total dissolved solids.
It is often referred to as a 'sugar' reading.
This is measured through a hand held refractometer (measures the refractive index of a liquid and is used extensively in the wine industry to measure natural sugar, protein and amino acid in grapes in relation to picking).
Farmers throughout the world are using this measure more and more to help them monitor crop quality and soil health.
The higher the reading the higher the natural plant sugar, higher mineral and higher protein content will be. (This means a better nutritional content).
Resistance to insects and disease is also enhanced with higher brix levels which equate to less chemicals having to be applied.
Produce grown with a higher brix reading also have a longer storage life.
Brix level readings of various crops, fruits and vegetables not only shows us the one with better nutritional qualities but also indicates the fertility status of the soil the crop has been grown in.
Ionic- (structure) made up of electrically charged particles into which the atoms or molecules of certain substances (especially salts, acids, bases) are dissociated by solution in water, and which make a solution a conductor of electricity.
ph- the negative logarithm of the hydrogen-ion activity of the soil.
This gives the measure of acidity or alkalinity of a soil or solution expressed in terms of the ph scale.
Colloids - organic and inorganic matter with very small particle size and a correspondingly large surface area per unit of mass. (clay particles and humus).
CEC - cation exchange capacity (also called 'total exchange capacity', 'base exchange capacity', or 'cation-adsorption capacity').
This is the sum total of exchangeable cations that a soil can absorb.
This is expressed in milliequivalents per 100 grams of soil (or of other adsorbing material such as clay).
Cation - positively charged ion.
Adsorption - the attraction of ions or compounds to the surface of a solid.
Soil colloids adsorb large amounts of ions and water.
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